


T for Tinco

by palanotar (telemachus)



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alphabet games, Elvish rhymes, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 12:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2621837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telemachus/pseuds/palanotar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An evening on the road, early in the Quest, Legolas and Aragorn teach the Fellowship an Elvish Alphabet Rhyme.</p><p>Written for the Teitho Alphabet Challenge, using the Tengwar alphabet & also the (Westron) one, it was placed first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	T for Tinco

**Author's Note:**

> Not mine, posted for someone who doesn't have their own AO3 account.  
> (I wish it was, but my knowledge of Tengwar is not up to this!)

As Legolas looked around the camp, the setting sun reflected on Gimli’s mail coat, 

_“t for tinco, metal shining”_ he muttered to himself.

“But I know that!” exclaimed Aragorn, “it is the children’s learning rhyme for the Quenyan Tengwar letters, I did not think I would hear it on this quest” 

_“nd in ando, gate defining”._

Clearing away the supper things over by the campfire, Sam looked up, interested as ever in all things elven.

_“th for thule, spirit missing”_ continued Legolas.

“Don’t stop!” pleaded Sam, “I like to hear more poetry.”

_“nt in anto, mouth for kissing”_ obliged Aragorn, turning to look back North towards Rivendell. 

“Elfmaids, no doubt”, laughed Boromir, “it is long since we had time for such word games in Gondor, but we still have kissing.”

Frodo spoke up, “Bilbo taught me this, though I have forgotten most of it,"

_“n for numen, westward sailing”,_

_“r in ore, heart is ailing”_ , he faltered, putting his hand to his shoulder. 

Gandalf looked across at Frodo with a concerned expression, “Gregarion of Gondolin first wrote this rhyme, long ago, though I believe it is someone in Lord Elrond’s household who translated the counterpoint into Westron, 

_“r for romen, eastward shadowed”._

“How come there are two letter Rs?”, asked Merry

“It is because the r of ore is short, and inbetween other letters, while the rrr of romen is trilled, and often starts words,” answered Legolas, 

_“s for silme, starlight hallowed”,_

_“h for hyarmen, southward arrowed”._

“Just like us,” mused Boromir, “joking aside, is there any actual point to this rhyme?” 

“Khuzdul needs more letters than Elvish tongues,” said Gimli, “but dwarrowlings just learn them as letters, p, b, f, v and so on.” 

Legolas laughed, “learning lingers longest with music or rhyme to hold its form,” 

_“p for parma, book for lending”,_

_“mb in umbar, fate unbending”,_

_“f for formen, northward icing”,_

_“mp in ampa, hook for slicing”._

Merry unrolled his blanket next to the fire and lay down, “Hobbits don’t have such rhymes either, but if we did it would go apples, beer, cake.” 

“Not bad Merry,” said Aragorn, “and doubtless followed by dinner, elevenses and feasting, but let us finish the elven letters first,” 

_“m for malta, gold for spending”._

“Or not spending,” said Gimli, “better to treasure it and craft it into something beautiful”. 

“Perhaps,” said Legolas, “but beauty can take many forms,” 

_“v for vala, powers unending”,_

_“rd in arda, on earth we are”._

“Quenya must be a tonguetwister of a language to have letters like that, I can’t even say it,” said Pippin. 

Raising his head to look at the appearing stars, Aragorn continued, 

_“s for silme nuquerna, star”,_

_“hw for hwesta sindarinwa “._

“Strange letter-name that one,” said Legolas, “it always struck me as odd that the Noldor who first wrote this put Sindarin hwesta before the hwesta they normally use,” 

_“c for calma, lamp for lighting”,_

_“ng in anga, iron for fighting”._

“That’s more like it,” murmured Boromir sleepily, as Aragorn continued 

_“h’ as aha, rage igniting”._

Unperturbed by the others settling down to rest, Legolas and Aragorn recited together now, 

_“Nc in anca, jaws are biting”_

_“Ng for ngoldo, wisdom living” ___

“What does this have to do with us?” asked Gimli.

“Extremely little, Master dwarf,” replied Legolas, “it was the sunset on your armour that got me started is all”, 

_“Y as anna, gift for giving”._

“You and Aragorn can take first watch and stay up all night chanting if you wish,” said Gandalf, “but the sun has well and truly set now and the rest of us should get some sleep, so please keep it quiet.” 

_“L for lambe, tongue is spoken”_

_“Z in aze, sunlight woken”_

_“Y for yanta, bridge is broken”_

_“Qu for quesse, feather flapping”_

_“Ngw in ungwe, cobweb trapping”_

_“Hw for hwesta, breeze is blowing”_

_“Nqu in unque, hollow flowing”_

_“Ngw for ngwalme, torment fleeing”_

_“W for wilya, sky for seeing”_

_“Ld in alda, trees that once shone”_

_“Z as are nuquerna , sun”_

_“W as ure, heat til it’s done”_

____“Zzzz,” snored Gimli, Gandalf, Boromir and the four Hobbits. Aragorn and Legolas laughed quietly together, and settled down to watch the night._ _ _ _


End file.
